Law Students

Sandra Day O'Connor, First Female Justice on the Supreme Court, Hopes to Push for More Civics Classes in Schools

By stacisaurus

"Only a third of Americans can name the three branches of government. That's scary," Sandra Day O'Connor told "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, March 4, 2009. "But 75 percent of kids can tell you 'American Idol' judges."

Justice O'Connor believes that with the emphasis that schools have placed on math and science scores, and with the focus on the No Child Left Behind Act, that basic civics and social studies courses have, in fact, been left behind. The former Justice fears that children without a basic knowledge and understanding of of how their government works will not be able to take an active role in democracy when they grow up. In order to remedy this situation, Justice O'Connor has developed a website called Our Courts in the hopes of promoting "21st century civics." The website will allow children to play interactive games, ask questions, submit projects, and watch webisodes that will allow them to learn about (and perhaps become interested in) the way our government functions. The site also features a "curriculum builder" that will allow teachers to create lesson plans and classroom activities centered on civics and social studies.

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Full post as published by Ms. JD on March 08, 2009 (boomark / email).